Leg mounting for target frames and the like



April 30, 1963 D. F. WALLACE LEG MOUNTING FOR TARGET FRAMES AND THE LIKEFiled March 27, 1958 F/ci United States Patent Ofi ice 3,087,701Patented Apr. 30, 1963.

3,087,701 LEG MOUNTING FOR TARGET FRAMES AND THE LIKE Donald F. Wallace,1523 Hulett Ave., Faribault, Minn. Filed Mar. 27, 1958, Ser. No. 724,4561 Claim. (Cl. 248-166) This invention relates to stands upon whichsigns, targets and the like may be displayed, and more particularlyrelates to the leg mounting for such stands as to hold the display in apredetermined position.

An object of my invention is to provide in a stand for displaying signs,targets and the like, a new and improved leg mounting of simple andinexpensive construction and operation for supporting the display in anyof a number of predetermined positions regardless of the nature of thesurface conduit upon which the stand is placed.

Another object of my invention is the provision of a novel stand fordisplaying signs, targets and the like, wherein the display may bepositioned at any of a plurality of positions at or above the groundsurface and wherein the legs may be oriented and secured in any of amultiplicity of positions to prevent tipping of the stand under theinfluence of various forces exerted thereagainst such as strong wind andthe like.

These and other objects and advantages of my invention will more fullyappear from the following description made in connection with theaccompanying drawings wherein like reference characters refer to thesame parts throughout the several views and in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a detail elevation view, partially broken away and shown insection, of one of the leg mountings at a respective end of the displaystand;

FIG. 3 is a detail section view taken on a vertical plane as indicatedsubstantially at 3--3 in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 and FIG. 5 are end elevation views of the stand showingthedifferent positions in which the stand may be supported; 1

FIG. 6 is a detail section view taken approximately at 6-6 in 'FIG. 1;and

FIG. 7 is a front elevation view of a slightly modified form of theinvention and showing the legs swung to a carriage position. a Y

The form of the invention shown in FIGS. l-6 includes a rigidrectangular frame 10 constructed of any suitable material such as angleiron. A rigid display panel or mounting board 11 is shaped tosubstantially conform to the internal periphery of frame 10 and issecured in the frame .10 as by bolts 12, substantially in the mannershown in 'FIGS. 1 and 6. The frame 10 may be provided with a carryinghandle 13 which is afiixed thereto by any suitable means such aswelding.

Means are provided at each end of the frame 10 mounting a pair ofsupport legs 14 to permit swinging of the legs with respect to eachother and to permit the legs to be positively held in predeterminedrelation with respect to each other and with respect to the frame 10. Inthe form shown, such means include, at each end of the frame 10, anelongate threaded stud, extending endwise outwardly from the frame 10 ata position adjacent the bottom edge of the frame and having an inner endportion 15a which is fixed as by welding to the bottom edge of theframe.

Each of the studs 15 has a plurality of rigid, apertured discs 16, 17and 18 thereon which may be constructed of cast iron. It should beunderstood that discs 16-18 may also be constructed of other metal suchas aluminum so as to reduce the overall weight of the stand. The discs16 and 17 are leg-mounted discs and have radially extending posts orlugs 19 and 20 thereon respectively which are grooved at 19a and 20a tofacilitate crimping of the tubular legs 14 thereinto to provide a securepermanent connection between the legs and the discs. The discs 16 and 17are slidable along the threaded studs 15 as well as being rotatablethereon.

The disc 18 has a radially extending notch 18a in the inner end surfacethereof which receives the edge of the frame 10 therein for retainingthe disc 18 in a predetermined position. The disc 18 may be aflixed asby welding to the frame 10 so as to be stationary with respect to thestud 15.

Means are provided on the end surfaces of the discs 16, 17 and 18 whichface the other discs for preventing rotation of one disc with respect tothe other discs. In the form shown, such means comprise, as best seen inFIGS. 2 and 3, a plurality of radially extending teeth or projections 21and grooves or recesses 22 on the end surfaces of the discs 16, 17 and18. The teeth and grooves on adjacent discs are cooperatively formed tomesh with each other when the discs are in engaged relation with eachother. The teeth and grooves of the discs prevent rotation of one discwith respect to the other.

Clamping means are provided on the stud 15 for urging the discs towardeach other and causing meshing of the teeth. In the form shown, suchclamping means comprise a wing nut 23 threaded on the stud 15 andretained thereon by a pin 24 which extends through a diametric aperturein the stud 15.

The form of the invention shown in FIG. 7 is similar to that shown inFIGS. l-6, and it has a frame 10' which includes the frame end members25 constructed of angle iron and diagonal braces 26 adjacent the cornersof the frame 10'. The frame 10' alsoincludes a pair of wooden crossbraces 27 which are bolted at 28 to the diagonal braces 26. The displaypanel or mounting board 11' is suitably aflixed 'to the frame 10' as bybolts 12'. This form of the invention also includes legs 14' andmountings for the legs which are substantially identical to thatdisclosed in the form of the invention shown in FIGS. 1-6.

In the use and operation of the invention, the frame 10 will normally beoriented in an upright position, substantially in the manner shown inFIGS. 1 and 4. The legs 14 may be swung to various positions withrespect to each other and with respect to the frame 10 for holding theframe in a desired predetermined orientation with respect to the groundsurface, regardless of the nature or contour of the surface. As seen inFIG. 4, the legs 14 are disposed at various angles with respect to theframe 10 so as to support the frame in an upright position, even thoughthe ground surface S is sloping.

When the legs are to be positioned, the wing nuts 23 will be loosened soas to permit the discs 16 and 17 to be slipped longitudinally of thestud 15 out of meshed relation with the disc 18 and with each other.When the discs 16 and 17 are disengaged, the legs may be swung to thedesired position and because the teeth 22 are only minutely spaced fromeach other, substantially any desired position of the legs may beretained after the legs have been initially set and the discs 16 and 17have again been slipped along the stud 15 into engagement with eachother and with the disc 18. The wing nut 23 is then turned up to clampand hold the discs 16 and 17 in meshed relation with each other and withthe disc 18.

Under certain conditions, it may be desirable or necessary to swing thelegs 14 in opposite and horizontally extending directions, substantiallyin the manner shown in dotted lines in FIG. 4. When the legs are so positioned and engaged with the ground surface S the stand will withstandsubstantially all normal influences which 3 would otherwise tend to tipit over, such as extremely strong winds and the like.

In some cases it may be desirable to incline the frame 10, substantiallyin the manner shown in FIG. 5. In this position the legs 14 lie parallelwith respect to each other and engage the ground surface so as to holdthe frame in the desired position. It should be understood that the legs14 may be swung through a 360 arc and clamped in substantially anyposition when the nut 23 is tightened. One of the tubular legs, in theposition shown in FIG. 5, could be swung upwardly to act as a pedestalfor a warning flag.

In the form of the invention shown in FIG. 7, the legs are swung intoparallel condition with the frame and this leg position is well adaptedfor use in storage or transporting the stand and this leg position isobtainable in the other form of the invention as well as that shown inFIG. 7.

The use of the wooden cross braces 27 is particularly well adapted tothis form of the invention as a target supporting stand. Rifle slugswill readily pass through the panel 11, particularly so if it isconstructed of fiber board or the like and the rifle slugs will alsopass through the cross braces 27 without materially damaging the framein general. It should 'be understood that the targets may be stamped orotherwise secured to the mounting board 11'. When the mounting board 11'and/ or the wooden cross braces 27 are damaged by slugs to the extentwhere they are no longer usable, they may be readily and easilyreplaced.

It should be noted that because the legs 14 of the stand are of tubularconstruction, extension portions may be easily slipped into the endsthereof for raising the stand to greater height. It should further benoted that when the stand is disposed in the position shown in FIG. 5,certain of the legs may be swung to a substantially vertical positionand the tubular end of the vertically swung leg may provide a mountingfor a warning flag or the like.

It should further be noted that the legs 14 may have a telescopicconstruction so that the height of the stand may be easily adjusted andadapted for various conditions.

It will be seen that I have provided a new and improved stand fordisplaying signs, targets and the like and wherein the frame and displaypanel of the stand may be oriented in any predetermined position andheld in that position regardless of the nature of the surface contourupon which the stand is supported by the legs which may be swung through360 and then held in substantially any position desired.

It will, of course, be understood that various changes may be made inthe form, detail, arrangement and proportion of the parts withoutdeparting from the scope of my invention which consists of the matterdescribed herein and set forth in the appended claim.

What I claim is:

A stand for displaying signs, targets, and the like, comprising a framefor supporting the display and having opposite end portions, two pair ofsupport legs having hollow upper ends, each pair disposed adjacent arespective end portion thereof, a pair of threaded studs underlying theopposite end portions of the frame, each of said studs being affixed toand projecting endwise outwardly from a respective end portion of theframe, a pair of apertured leg mounting discs rotatably mounted on eachstud and engaging each other, a third disc on each stud and affixed tothe frame and disposed inwardly from the other discs, said third dischaving a groove in one face thereof and receiving the frame end portiontherein to prevent the disc from revolving with respect to the frame,said leg mounting discs and the third disc having projections andrecesses on the end faces thereof and arranged for interfitting withcorresponding recesses and projections of adjacent discs whereby toprevent relative rotation of the discs when in engagement with eachother, and disc clamping means threaded on the end of each stud andbearing against the outermost disc to clamp the discs together andmaintain said projections and recesses in interfitting relation toprevent rotation of the discs relative to each other, and each of saidleg mounting discs having a grooved radially extending lug projectinginto the hollow upper end of the respective leg, said leg upper endsbeing crimped into the grooves of the lugs, whereby the frame ispositively held in predetermined relation with respect to the legs whensaid discs bear against each other with the projections and recesses ininterfitted relation.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS497,042 Wood May 9, 1893 2,563,410 Micek Aug. 7, 1951 2,583,244Underwood Jan. 22, 1952 2,650,119 Booth Aug. 25, 1953

